Wisdom and Sour Grapes

Whether you are an entrepreneur, wellness warrior or both, the factors of wisdom and sour grapes play a role in our lives. Allow me to explain. No one wants to play a fool; and no one wants to eat sour grapes.

Remember Aesop’s Fables?

Perhaps you remember this famous one. The story about the fox that tried in vain to snatch a cluster of grapes dangling from a vine just out of reach. The fox exerted himself jumping as high as he could and quickly concluded within a few attempts that “these grapes are sour, and if I had some I would not eat them.”

And now you know where the term “sour grapes” originated. How often do we in our business or health journey run into this concept?

Have you ever found yourself like the fox retreating from the grape arbor declaring sour grapes?

Have you ever worked with someone who claims sour grapes? If only we could remember that the far-to-reach are worth a strategic effort.

Like the fox in Aesop’s fable, we humans experience a clash about the knowledge that grapes are tasty except when we can’t reach them. Then we may radically change our attitude toward the grapes to defend our behavior.

Beware of Sour Grapes

Friend, sour grapes can show up like this. We may set out on a health journey that includes a strategy of good nutrition and moderate exercise. Within the first three days we don’t notice any significant changes. We we are extremely hungry, behold! A burger and fries appears right in front of us and we go for it! Then, somehow we question if our new plan was really even making a difference at all. That’s sour grapes.

In business it can look like this. We sign up for a weekend seminar that promotes goal setting, increasing sales and soaring profits. We attend. We even apply some things we have learned. Two months later we wonder why our influx of income isn’t greater? We begin to suspect the sincerity of those who led the seminar. Maybe everything they do is driven by greed. Beware of sour grapes.

In walks wisdom. But first, what is wisdom?  It is the the ability to discern what is true, right, or lasting. Wisdom expresses itself from experiences, sound judgment and/or actions.

Identify what it is you really desire.

At this moment, what “specific fruit” do you want to enjoy? Ask yourself, is this heart’s desire worth creating a strategy?

Is it worth consistency so you may savor the sweetness of it?

Is it worth the time you spend to enjoy it?

If “yes” is the answer to the three questions, the we are well on our way to savoring sweet success; not sour grapes.

Our world is often a place of instant gratification. We quickly want what we want, when we want it.

We want to be thin ,and yet we want a box of donuts. We want a bigger bank account with not too much work involved, Ironic, no? Yet it’s human nature! It’s also human nature to blame. Let’s not be those people– you know, the ones that blame when little to no effort is made. Let’s not be like the spoiled-sport fox. Let’s rise above it. Let’s own our place in every decision we make. That friend, is the inner workings of wisdom.

Let’s inspect any areas where we or those whose paths we may have crossed, cried “sour grapes,” Take note. Was a specific strategy in place to seize the fruit? Was the strategy being followed consistently within a realistic time frame?

Chime In!

Have you ever felt foolish like the fox and called “sour grapes” to quickly? (Tell me, I’m not I the only one.) In the comments below, tell us, what wisdom did you gain?